Fox 47 Madison DTV Plans

[Kevin Arnold]

In response to a email I sent asking for info on their DTV plans to fox47 I got this in reply:

We are still formulating what we can incorporate into our DTV budget.
Please check our website at FOX47.com for dtv updates. There isn't much
infor there now, due to the fact the budget is still being finalized,
but when it is we will try to keep it as up to date as possible.

Sincerely,

Kerry Maki
Chief Engineer
WMSN-TV Fox 47

[Tom Snyder]

Are they on the air yet?

[MesaV]

I think Nov 1, 2002.

[uplinkguy]

Chances are that when they do get the money, it will be seen by more people by the big lake than WITI's temporary site.

The antenna was installed on the community tower last year at 1,500 feet. Since their DTV channel is on 11, it is relatively cheap to come up with a transmitter at their licensed 15 kw erp of power(as opposed to WTMJ DT's 1000kw).

Then again, you would need a VHF antenna to receive it.

Unfortunately, WMSN's owner ia Sinclair broadcasting. The same as WB 18 and UPN 24. When you see them light up DTV, then maybe there is a chance for Fox 47.

[Scott Sippel]

I have been checking this channel for a while now and I noticed this evening they are broadcasting a signal. I don't get a very strong signal, around 30-40 on my DTC-100. Its enough to get a picture and to see what program is on but breaks up too much to be watchable. Its a better signal than I can get for Fox 6. I am optimized for pulling in UHF signals and not ch 47's VHF digital signal on channel 11. Any other west siders able to get this channel?

[Kevin Arnold]

Indeed channel 11 is lit up here in Hartland with an upconvert this morning. Signal strength of 76 on the RCA F38310. I'll have to wait until tonight to see the highly touted Faux Widescreen but at least a digital pic avail. for Packer games.

[Scott Sippel]

Good, I am happy to see you can get a good signal. I tried again this morning and still had signal levels in the 30's and 40's. It actually locked up the DTC-100. I have had that happen once or twice on marginal signals. I need to work on my setup to see if I can get it in any better. I ended up using a winegard preamp to get a good signal for the Madison digitals. I started with a VHF/UHF preamp and switched to a UHF only preamp becuase I had too many problems with WMVS-DT overdriving the preamp. Since I don't watch PBS i'm going to switch back to the VHF preamp for Madison to see how I do. I typically only watch stations out of Madison anyway. Did you also notice the PSIP data listed 47-1 as WMSM not WMSN?

[StarvingForHDTV]

Just curious if this station passes on everything as stretched as well (filling a 16:9 screen 24/7). Also does the image quality look about the same as analog minus the ghosts? I'm just wondering if our local Faux is the problem, or if the network itself is sending out the really poor quality.

Starving

[Kevin Arnold]

So far I haven't seen anything widescreen, its all been 4x3. Upconvert looks a little washed out on my set. I'm not sure they're through testing yet as there hasn't been any audio now for 2 days. I sent them an email but no response yet. I'll check tonight for any widescreen shows.

[Scott Sippel]

"24" was not widescreen last night and I believe is supposed be. Also, right now they are broadcasting as 4x3 not 16x9 like the subchannels on cbs and pbs. So for now the STB can choose to stretch or not.
For standard definition the picture quality is much improved especially the network feed during primetime. I am comparing to analog 47 and fox 6 over direct tv. Once they fix the audio i'm sure all watch all my fox programming there.

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by Scott Sippel:
"24" was not widescreen last night and I believe is supposed be. Also, right now they are broadcasting as 4x3 not 16x9 like the subchannels on cbs and pbs. So for now the STB can choose to stretch or not.
For standard definition the picture quality is much improved especially the network feed during primetime. I am comparing to analog 47 and fox 6 over direct tv. Once they fix the audio i'm sure all watch all my fox programming there.

24 is supposed to be 16:9, perhaps they will pass the signal properly in the near future. If the standard definition is much improved, I think the problem lies with Faux-6-DT in Milwaukee vs. the Faux network as a whole. That gives me some hope for the future, but who knows if Faux-6-DT will ever realize they are wrecking the network feed on their end (my opinion/theory).

Thanks for the feedback,

Starving

[uplinkguy]

I was talking to a local tv engineer this evening. He had a recent conversation with the chief of Fox 47.

The report is that Sinclair has no intentions of buying the necessary equipment to pass through Faux widescreen high resolution in the near future.

So, only upconverted 4:3 for the near future.


During the Packer game, did anyone else catch the tearing on the orange yard markers and sticks? Or was it just my setup?


Andy

[Kevin Arnold]

They don't even have their audio working yet, after about 7 days of same. No acknowledgement or a problem, and no mention on their website of problems. Why turn this thing on if they didn't have to? Especially since they won't be using it to pass anything resembling DTV. They could have waited until 5-1-03 and been legal and consistant with Sinclair's consumer friendly attitude.

[ReesR]

Sinclair stations are simply not on my [radar] screen (pun intended) any more. Same goes for Faux programming (Ch 6) unless I view it from 32-1 in Chicago. There is enough programming on 4, 10, 12 and 58 (when I can get 58) along with 5, 7, 9, 11, 32, and 50 from Chicago that the loss of programming from non digital or non-receivable digital stations is making it more of a non issue. Add to that HBO, Showtime and HD-Net from Satellite in high def and the loss of progamming from some stations is no longer even being noticed.

Gang, we now have over 100 hours of programming to choose from with more to come. I am finally enjoying the high definition programming from an ever maturing technology. It is far from experimental now except from certain stations in Milwaukee. We know who they are. My suggestion is to just enjoy the others.

What a switch eh? You never thought I would say that did you?

------------------
Rees Roberts
Racine, WI
reesr@wi.net

HDTV Receiver: Sony KD-34XBR2 16X9
Bi-directional AntennaCraft VHF Yagi Model #2260P
+
2 Winegard PR9022 UHF yagi's pointing N & S
Antennas at about 30 feet
Samsung SIR-TS160 HD Directv receiver

[MesaV]

I have to agree with you ReesR. Aside from the Packers, I don't believe there is anything else I watch on FOX.

[Pat]

Unfortunately, there are a few programs on Fox that I enjoy. But who cares, since they're probably not even widescreen anyway.

An effective tactic may be to complain to the NFL itself. Surely they care about the presentation of their product -- *surely* its not just about money! Riiiight! http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/smile.gif Maybe they can "punish" Fox for the lame widescreen thing, and WITI for no effective signal at all.

[uplinkguy]

kjarnold, I'm curious on your audio difficulties with FOX 47.

I receive it fine, I believe it's in stereo. (I haven't really checked yet.)

I have the Hughes E86 box. Maybe a problem similar to what WHA-DT had this summer? The Hughes STB was the hardest hit by those audio issues, however.

Seeing a ghost-free Simpson episode once a week is worth the few dollars in electricity it costs to broadcast on ch. 11.

I'm just glad that Fox doesn't have the Super Bowl this year.

Andy

[Tom Snyder]

Aside from the Packers, I don't believe there is anything else I watch on FOX.

The same for me... but before CBS58, WISN 12 and TMJ4 got their digital on the air, I watched no network programming. It was pretty much all Fox News channel, HGTV, TLC and HBO. About the only local channel stuff I watched was WITI local news.

But now I've become a big fan of a TON of HD network programming... CSI, American Dreams, Touched by an Angel, Hack... stuff that I never would have watched otherwise. And because it's now at least SD Digital, I've switched to Today's TMJ4 from WITI for my local news. So the Packer game is about it now for me on WITI, too. I even watch the CBS pregame, just cuz the Fox pregame analog looks like crud. So even though I'm watching a lot more Network stuff, the net gain for the other guys, and 6 loses.

[Kevin Arnold]

I get a sound listing on Fox47 digital of "English3" and "Stereo". I've never seen English3 before on any digital or analog channel. Not sure if this is because of non-updated software on my RCA F38310 or problems at the transmitter end. I'm not the only one with this problem. I've sent two emails to Fox47's engineering but they don't respond. I'd love to watch some of the few Fox shows I do watch on them but if this audio glitch persists I'll just program it out of the tuner.

[Kevin Arnold]

Fox 47 got their act together today and ran the Packer game without a glitch. Finally streightened out the Psip data and got their actual call letters on screen instead of "WMSM". Sound was working right too. No native widescreen though, but since they transmit 4x3 I could stretch it at my end. CBS has a game in late Dec. so it'll be interesting to see how they do.